Treating apparatus



y 1933- K. F. SNOW ET AL. 1,907,013

TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A TTORNE .6;

:May 2, 1933. s ow ET AL 1,907,013

TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb; 14, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

m r- Jr 9% 71'' J W ATTORN% May 2, 1933 K. F. SNOW ET AL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1931 3 SheetS -Sheet INVENTOR. ffiari d ffifmzr 1+ By N A n Firs? Patented May 2, 1933 UNTE STATS KARL F. SNOW, OF BRECKSVILLE, AND MAHLON E. FIRST, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, AS-

SIGNORS TO THE C. O. BARTLETT AND SHOT/V COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO TREATING APPARATUS Application filed February 14, 1931.

This invention, relating as indicated to treating apparatus, has specific reference to the form of construction of an apparatus designed to be employed as a continuous unit in the treatment of materials having a wide range of characteristics. \Vhile the hereinafter described apparatus will be referred to as designed primarily for the purpose of accomplishing a pickling operation such as is well known in the manufacture of metals, nevertheless it will be noted from the description which follows that the apparatus comprising our invention may be advantageously employed for the purpose of otherwise treating material-such as washing, dipping, and the like. It is among the objects of our invention to provide a treating apparatus of the above described character which shall have advantages apparent as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, broken, part sectional, part elevational view of one form of the apparatus comprising our invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the plane substantially indicated by the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, broken, part sectional, part elevational view of an alternative form of construction; Fig. 4 is a transverse broken sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 taken on the plane substantially indicated by the line 4-4; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, broken, part sectional, part elevational view of a further modification of the apparatus illustrated in the previous figures; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5 taken on the plane substantially indicated by the line 66; Fig. 7 is a frag- Serial No. 515,784.

mentary elevational view showing an alternative form of construction for the material supporting and conveying apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a further modification of the form of construction of the material supporting and conveying apparatus forming part of the-structures disclosed in the previous figures.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and more especially to Figs. 1 and 2, the specific embodiment of my invention herein disclosed comprises a tank or vat 1 which Wlll contain the pickling or treating fluid or like material through which the articles to be treated are conveyed, in the manner hereinafter more fully described, by the apparatus comprising my invention. Positioned in the tank 1 are a plurality of fixed stands 2 which are preferably arranged at uniformly spaced successive intervals throughout the longitudinal extent of the tank, each of such stands having material supporting shoes such as 3 associated therewith, such shoes it being noted are preferably provided with concave material engaging surfaces so that when the articles, such as the barrels 4, are placed thereon such barrels will be prevented from rolling off from the supporting stands. The stands 2 at the ends of the tank 1 are arranged on an incline, or more particularly in the form of steps, so that the material to be treated may be moved down such steps at the feeding end of the apparatus into the fluid in the tank 1 and up such steps and out of the fluid at the dis charge end of the tank. Any suitable means may be employed for the purpose of properly supporting the fixed stands 2, it being noted that in Fig. 2 such stands are shown supported by means of a plurality of spaced transversely extending sills 5 which may be embedded in the lateral walls of the tank 1, or such stands may be secured to members extending longitudinally of the tank and supported from means depending into such tank. The means for supporting the fixed stands and the manner in which such stands are supported forms no part of this invention, so that a further description thereof is believed unnecessary.

Associated with the hereinbefore described fixed stands for supporting material are a plurality of similarly formed vertically and horizontally movable stands 6 which likewise have concave material supporting surfaces for the above described purpose and which may be secured to spaced transversely extending members 7 which may be interconnected and braced by longitudinally extending members 8 and vertically supported by arms 9 depending into the tank. The means provided to support the vertically and horizontally movable stands 6 will likewise be inclined at the feeding and discharge end of the apparatus, similar to the inclination or step formation of the above described fixed stands. The arms 9 which depend into the tank 1, and which movably support the means to which the movable stands 6 are secured, are at their upper ends secured to a longitudinally extending member 10, which is capable of longitudinal movement under the influence of a piston 11 actuated by a fluid operated cylinder means 12. It will be noted at this point that any suitable power means instead of the illustrated piston and cylinder may be employed to accomplish the desired ends. The member 10 is supported at spaced points by rollers such as 13 on a similar member 14 which is provided with rollers 15 which ride on tracks 16. The tracks 16 are inclined so that when the member 14 is moved longitudinally under the influence of the piston 17 actuated by the fluid cylinder 18, such member 14 will be elevated and will carry therewith the member 10, the depending arms 9 and the movable stands 6.

The operation of the above described form of construction is briefly as follows:

Barrels or like articles such as 4 are successively placed on the first of the rigid stands 3 adjacent the feeding end of the apparatus and then by a proper movement both vertically and horizontally of the movable stands 6 such barrels or like articles will be picked up from each such fixed stand, moved to and deposited on successive stands and in this fashion the material is in effect walked through the tank 1. The proper movement of the stands 6 to accomplish the above named result is effected by a proper synchronous relative movement between the piston 11 and 17. For instance, the piston 11 will be held stationary and the piston 17 Will be moved to the right which movement will cause the rollers 15 to ride up onto the inclined tracks 16 thereby producing a pure vertical movement of the depending arms 9 and their associated movable stands 6. If the stands have been elevated suiiiciently to lift the barrels or like articles 4 off from the fixed stands then the piston 17 will be held stationary and the piston 11 moved to the right for a distance sufficient to enable the movable stands 6 to horizontally convey the barrels or like articles until the same are over the next succeeding fixed stand. Then the piston 17 will be moved to the left, lowering the barrels onto the fixed stands. This cycle of operation when repeated will move the articles to be treated through the tank 1. It will be noted that when the movable stands 6 are brought over into position to deposit the barrel or like article onto the fixed stand, if the barrel is deposited slightly off the center of the fixed stand then a slight rotation of the barrel will result as the same rolls into position on the fixed stand. This rotation or relative movement of the barrel as it passes through the pickling tank may be effected by having the movable stand when the barrel is picked up thereby engage the same slightly off center so that a slight rotation of the barrel will result at both ends of each step of its movement. This rotation of the barrels, or like articles, as the same are transported through the pickling tank, makes it possible to place relatively small tanks such 19 in Fig. 2 inside relatively large tanks such as 20, and, when such barrels or tanks are conveyed through the apparatus, the rotation. thereof will properly expose all surfaces of each barrel to the action of the pickling fluid by changing the point of cont-act of the outer barrel with the supporting means and by changing the point of mutual contact of the barrels.

Another form of construction of the fixed and movable stands, by means of which the articles to be pickled or treated are conveyed through the tank, and for some purposes the preferred form of construction is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 in which the stands consist ofa plurality of spaced transverse depressions in laterally spaced bars such as 21 and 22 which extend longitudinally of the tank. The bars 21 which form the fixed stands for supporting the material are, in turn, suitably supported by means of brackets 23 which Will be secured to suitable means fixed relatively to the tank. The rods 22 which form the movable stands are supported by brackets 24 which are secured to transversely extending members 25 supported from depending arms 26. The depending arms 26 will be secured to longitudinally extending vertically and horizontally movable means 27, the actuation and movement of which may be similar to that described in connection with members 10 and 14 of Fig. 1.

In the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 2, the step-like formations of the'movable stands adjacent the ends of the tank are preferably formed separate from the horizontally arranged stands in the bottom of the tank, so that a greater relative movement, particularly in the vertical direction of these steplike stands, may be had so that such steplike arrangement of both the movable and fixed stands may be at a sharper angle than that possible with a construction such as is illustrated in Fig. 1 in which the stands at the ends of the tank are interconnected to the stands in the body of the tank. This greater inclination of the stepped stands enables the articles to be treated to be brought into the fluid within the tank in a much shorter distance so that-the overall length of the apparatus may be appreciably reduced. The oper-ation of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and at is substantially identical with that described in connection with the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 so that a further consideration of this latter form of construction is believed unnecessary. This latter form of construction has, however, the further advantage in that should any of the barrels or like articles to be treated roll ofi from the supporting stands the longitudinally extending rods 21 and 22 will prevent the same from becoming lodged in the apparatus and consequently locking the same against movement.

The apparatus comprising my invent on is not restricted in its operation to the p1ckling and similar treatment of barrels or cylindrical articles, but by the employment of apparatus such as is illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, any form which the material might take whether it be rods, slabs, bars or sheets may be efiiciently handled and treated in the manner hereinbetore described. The form of construction illustrated in these last named figures consists of laterally spaced long1 tudinally extending members 28 and 29, the former of which are preferably fixed relatively to the tank and the latter are vertically and horizontally movable and supported by depending arms 30 which may be secured to supporting means placed over the tank similar to that illustrated and described in connection with Fig. 1 so that the proper vertical and horizontal movement of the members 29 may be effected. The ends 31 of the fixed members 28 may be supported on the ends of the tank and for additional support intermediately of the ends these fixed members may be provided with supporting frame members such as 32, most clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The rigid members 28 will have secured thereto spaced vertically extending members 33 which serve to separate the rods, bars, sheets or slabs supported by the members 28 into bundles or groups. '1 he vertically and horizontally movable members 29 will have secured thereto upwardly projecting members 34 which will be in the form of a wedge so that when the member 29 is elevated to lift the bundles ofi' from the member 28 intermediately of the partition members 33 the sharp points of such members 34 will move upwardly in alignment with the partition members 33 so that no scattering of the bundles will occur, and further, the rods, bars or sheets comprising such bundles will all be lifted from each space intermediately of the partition members 33 and moved to the next succeeding space.

For specific types of material, namely, rods, bars, pipes and the like, the members 28 and 29 of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5 may be supplanted by members such as 28 and 29, most clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. These members will have their upper surfaces of saw tooth form so that only one or only a relatively small number of rods or bars such as 35 will be carried by the space intermediately of each of the saw teeth, and as the vertically and horizontally movable member 29 picks up the bars or rods 35 off from the rigid member 28, the same may be deposited in the next succeeding tooth space in the rigid member so that a most efficient and complete pickling or treating results. It will be noted that the relative movement of the members 29 and 28 may be governed so that the rods or bars 35 will be deposited on the inclined faces of the teeth 36 so that a rotation of such rods will result similar to the rotation of the barrels described in connection with the operation of the apparatus illustrated in the previous figures. I

l/Vhen bars or rods or like articles of relatively small diameter or small plates and sheets are treated by the apparatus hereinbefore described, specifically such as is illustrated in Fig. 5 is employed for this purpose, a further relative movement between the elements of each bundle of such material may be etlected to increase the efficiency of the pickling operation by having the member 28a intermediately of the partition members 33 convex in form and the member 2961!. intermediately of the elements 34; concave in form so that when the bundle of material is picked up by the member 29a and deposited on the .pass therethrough and to which the pickling apparatus is secured more specifically the movable portions thereof so that none of the fumes arising from the pickling fluid may have access to the mechanism over the tank.

It will be noted that by employing the apparatus comprising our invention as the material to be treated is moved from one stage to the next, such relative vertical and horimember 28a a substantial rearrangement of zontal movement of the material to be treated Within the treating fiuid acts as an efiicient means for creating the necessary turbulence to maintain the treating fluid in a properly agitated stage, so that, due to such turbulence and washing action incidental thereto of the exposed surfaces of the material, the treating operation may proceed most efliciently.

A further description of the apparatus comprising our invention is believed unnecessary for those familiar with the art. It will be noted that in the several modifications of the apparatus illustrated in some of the figures in the drawings, the means for actuating the movable stands has been omitted inasmuch as the actuating mechanism disclosed in Fig. l and described in connection therewith may be satisfactorily applied to each of the modifications of this apparatus with like advantageous results.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

o therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a plurality of stands arranged successively in said container for supporting the articles to be treated, and means for moving such articles from stand to stand.

2. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a plurality of stands arranged successively through said container for supporting the articles to be treated, and means for moving such articles from stand to stand.

3. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a plurality of stands arranged successively through said container for supporting the articles to be treated, and means for moving such articles'from stand to stand and simultaneously changing the position thereof relative to such stands.

4. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a plurality of stands arranged successively through said container for supporting the articles to be' treated, and means for moving such articles from stand to stand and simultaneously at least partially rotating such articles for each such movement.

5. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a plurality of stands arranged successively through said container for supporting the articles to be treated, and vertically and longitudinally movable means for picking up such articles from each such stand and depositing the same on a succeeding stand.

6. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treat-ing mate rial, of a plurality of stands arranged successively through said container for supporting the articles to be treated, and vertically and longitudinally movable means for picking up such articles from each such stand and depositing the same on a succeeding stand, but in a different relative position thereto.

.7. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a fixed frame below the top of said containerfor supporting the articles to be treated at a plurality of successive stages, and a frame movable relative to said firstnamed frame for moving such articles through successive stages on said firstnamed frame.

8. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating material, of a fixed frame below the top of said container for supporting the articles to be treated at a plurality of successive stages, and a frame movable relative to said firstnamed frame for moving such articles through successive stages on said first-named frame and simultaneously changing the relation of such articles to such frame.

9. In a treating apparatus, the combination with a container for the treating mate rial, of a fixed frame provided with a plurality of transverse depressions for supporting the articles to be treated at a plurality of successive stages, and a movable frame provided with transverse deprewions for lifting the material from each said depressions on said fixed frame and depositing the same in succeeding depressions.

10. In a. treating apparatus. the combination with, a container for the treating material, of a fixed frame provided with a plurality of transverse depressions for supporting the articles to be treated at a plurality of successive stages, and a movable frame provided with transverse depressions for lifting the material from each said depressions on said fixed frame and depositing the same in succeeding. depressions and simultaneously changing the relation of such material to said frame.

11. An apparatus for advancing articles through the pickling solution of a picking vat and comprising a fixed rack for suppor ing the articles to be pickled while the articles are in the pickling solution, and a movable rack cooperable with the fixed rack for intermittently moving the articles along the fixed rack.

12. An apparatus for advancing articles through the pickling solution of a pickling vat and comprising means for supporting articles in the pickling solution, and means movable up and down and back and forth in the vat for intermittently advancing the articles along said first mentioned means.

18. An apparatus for advancing articles through the pickling solution of pickling vat and comprising a fixed rack for supporting the articles in the solution, a movable rack engageable with articles on the fixed rack, and means for moving the movable rack first upwardly to cause it to elevate the articles above the fixed rack, then forwardly to advance the articles along the fixed rack, then downwardly to deposit the articles on the fixed rack, and then rearwardly so as to be positioned to repeat the cycle.

14. An apparatus for advancing articles through the pickling solution in a picking vat and comprising a fixed rack having spaced supporting members submerged in the solu tion and adapted to support the articles to be pickled at spaced points along the vat, a movable rack including supporting members movable up and down and back and forth relative to the supporting members of the fixed rack, and means for moving the movable rack.

15. An apparatus for pickling metal articles comprising a pickling vat, a fixed rack submerged in said vat and designed to support a plurality of articles to be pickled at spaced points therealong, a movable rack, means supporting the movable rack for vertical movement above and below and longitudinally back and forth movement relative to the fixed vat, and means for repeatedly moving the movable rack first upward from below to above the fixed rack, then forward relative thereto, then downward to below the same, and then rearwardly to its initial position whereby the movable rack elevates the articles, advances them along the fixed rack, deposits them thereon in advanced position and returns to repeat the cycle.

Signed by us this 6th day of February,

KARL F. SNOW. MAHLON E. FIRST. 

